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RECATEGORIZATION OF WAKE TURBULENCE STANDARDS RECAT 18 NextGen Now | Winter 2014 The benefits of wake turbulence recategorization (RECAT) are many and profound. RECAT implementation has the ability to enhance safety, reduce delays, save fuel for airlines, and reduce aviation's environmental impact. RECAT was implemented at Atlanta (ATL) in June 2014, and already the airlines are noticing its positive effects. At ATL, Delta Air Lines reported a reduction in the average departure taxi time between 30 seconds and two minutes based on the airport's configuration. The largest decrease in taxi out for departure time was in the 10:00 a.m. hour. In 2013, the average time was 22 minutes, but in 2014, the time was only 19.4 minutes. Delta Air Lines also reported that the average arrival rates increased from Atlanta TRACON (A80) to ATL, but there was still a 30 second to one minute average time in TRACON reduction with less variance. "The implementation of RECAT in Atlanta was another first for us," said NATCA Wake Turbulence Article 48 Representative Scott Pressley. "This was the first time that RECAT had been implemented in a predominately passenger airport. This makes it a little more difficult to quantify the benefits being gained because of the different carriers that have several flights in and out of Atlanta. The benefits stated by Delta show how impactful the procedure has been for them at ATL and A80, and we are very pleased with the results they are showing." "It will be more difficult for us to calculate the complete benefit for the tower and TRACON, but I would expect at least the reduced taxi time will be consistent for all carriers," he continued. "The controllers at the two facilities were fantastic to work with and their ability to quickly adapt to change made the implementation seamless." Delta also projected significant cost savings with the implementation of the new procedures. During the low phases of flight, they predict $14.8 million will be saved annually, and $38.1 million during the high phases of flight. Besides the huge success of RECAT in Atlanta, the wake turbulence recategorization team is also in the process of implementing RECAT in a TRACON that serves more than one airport, something that has never been done before. "Houston TRACON (I90) will go IOC with RECAT on December 18, 2014, along with Houston Intercontinental (IAH) and Houston Hobby (HOU)," said Pressley. "The three facilities bring their own unique challenges with implementation, but they will have the benefit of having additional reductions in separations from the first four implementations." Once RECAT is implemented at a facility, the facility provides updates and data so the team can constantly amend, update, and improve RECAT procedures. The current facilities running RECAT procedures have produced enough data that the team was able to conclude additional reductions with some of the smaller aircraft categories was possible. "Reducing the separation from five to four miles for a category F aircraft behind a category D aircraft

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